Review: Silver Bastard by Joanna Wylde

Reviewed by Carrie

Joanna Wylde is back with a spin-off of her beloved Reapers MC series. Though this first book features the Silver Bastards motorcycle club, an allied club of the Reapers, the focus of the series will be on the entire Silver Valley (near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) and its people. If you haven’t read the Reapers series, at times you might feel like you might be missing something, but I think it can be enjoyed on its own. Don’t expect a lighter or less gritty story – Wylde pulls no punches.

Puck Redhouse’s dream has always been to follow in the footsteps of his father and be a Silver Bastards patch holder. After prospecting for many years, he proved his mettle aiding the Reapers, for which he did some time in prison with Reaper Painter. Upon release, the two men are treated to their top rockers and a celebratory party thrown by a local MC. With his colors firmly on his back, Puck spots the ideal woman to help him scratch off the next item on his to do list. Puck and his woman get hot and dirty in a heavy haze of alcohol and lust. The light of morning brings everything into a disturbingly shocking focus. Puck may have unintentionally made a mistake, but there was no way that he was leaving the girl to suffer more abuse. He and the others resolve to bring her back with them and keep watch over her.

Five years have passed since Becca Jones road off from her nightmare on the back of Puck’s motorcycle. She’s made a decent life for herself thanks to the love and support from the couple, Earl and Regina, who took her in, her best friend Danielle and the silent protection of Puck Redhouse. The nightmares about her evil stepfather linger and have prevented Becca from having any “normal” romantic relationship. She doesn’t want to be anything like her mother, so she resolutely stays away from the man her body clearly desires.

Puck has stayed away from the one woman he’s ever truly wanted, partly out of guilt of the night they met and partly because he felt Becca deserved better. It’s Becca’s attempt at a normal relationship with a good man that finally breaks Puck’s control. Puck goes full throttle when he claims Becca. Becca, having grown up in the MC world, knows all the implications and although she initially resists, she knows the score. The two have to face their past to go forward with their future and get to their happy ever after.

I really liked how Becca’s character evolved. She was subjected to a crazy toxic life and managed to come out a strong survivor. Puck was the stereotypical growly alphahole biker, but the way he was whipped on Becca from the very beginning was very sweet. It’s nice to sometimes have a heroine who knows the MC rules so there isn’t so much time wasted on a learning curve and expected miscommunications.

My big quibble is that Wylde spends a good amount of time setting up the characters and series arc to the detriment of the main romance. I didn’t mind it so much in this case because I am really intrigued at what the author is building. However, be forewarned that there isn’t much to Puck and Becca’s relationship beyond hot sex and claiming. Read it for what it’s worth: an engaging series setup peppered with lots of hot sex with a survivor heroine and her whipped biker. I’m very excited to read what comes next for Silver Valley!